Ukraine expressed indignation at the words of the vice-president of the IOC about the possibility of the return of the Russian Federation to world sports

On October 1, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga and the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidny issued a joint statement regarding the impossibility of Russia’s return to world sports. This is how they commented on the words of the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and the candidate for the post of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. regarding the prospects of Russian sports.

“The vice-president of the IOC showed contempt not only for Ukraine, but also for the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, declaring the need to “work very hard” to “immediately” restore Russia’s membership in the International Olympic Committee after it returns to compliance with the Charter, and covering his words with that the IOC should supposedly not “take sides” in conflicts, and Russian aggression is only one of the “forty and hook” armed conflicts in the world,” the statement reads.

Official Kyiv reminded that “Russia has not stopped aggression and atrocities.” “It continues the brutal war against Ukraine, which has already led to the death of thousands of peaceful Ukrainians, including more than 500 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, damage and destruction of more than 500 sports facilities in Ukraine, including 16 Olympic, Paralympic and De-Olympic training bases,” noted Andriy Sybiga and Matvii Bidnyi.

Last week, 64-year-old Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch (son of Juan Antonio Samaranch, who headed the IOC in 1980-2001) said in an interview with France-Presse: “Russia did not respect the Olympic truce, so it was suspended. At the same time, we did not take sides in this conflict. However, Russia, as before, brutally violates the Olympic Charter. But as soon as the reasons for the dismissal disappear, we will have to work hard to get Russia back.”

The current president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, is retiring in the spring of 2025. There are already seven candidates for his position – the head of the International Association of Athletics Federations Sebastian Coe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation Morinari Watanabe, the head of the International Union of Cyclists David Lapartian, the president of the International Federation of Skiing and Snowboarding Yohan Elias, the vice-president of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon Juan Antonio Samaranch -junior, IOC members Faisal Al-Hussein and Kirsty Coventry.